Maxi-Cosi RodiFix Review

Maxi-Cosi offers two booster models that received a Best Bet rating in the 2014 IIHS Booster Ratings: the mid-priced, RodiAP and the higher end RodiFix. Both boosters offer a fairly high top belt guide so they’re both long-lasting as the child grows. The RodiFix does not convert to a backless booster, includes ISO-FIX connectors to secure it to the vehicle seat when not in use, and has closed shoulder belt guides that keep the seat belt in place. In this review, we’ll take a close look at the RodiFix.

When the Rodifix appeared on my doorstep, it took me about two seconds to dig into the box and pull that bad boy out. While it’s bulky, it’s a lot lighter weight than I would have expected. It’s also very stylish and sleek. And pink with stars on it. Even though it was dark outside, I trotted my favorite booster rider out to the car for a test run. Installing the RodiFix using the ISO-FIX connectors was pretty easy. The seat clicked into place and was ready to go without too much trouble.

ISO-FIX

ISO-FIX connectors install with ease

ISO-FIX connectors are similar to lower anchors, only these are rigid instead of connected via tether straps. To install the RodiFix, I just had to lift the grey lever, slide the connector out, then click it into my car’s seat. It was pretty darn painless. Once the booster was installed, I asked my model to have a seat and share her thoughts. She found buckling the seatbelt really easy thanks to the low profile belt guide. This means she doesn’t have to fumble around to get the belt into place each time — it’s pretty easy to access.

Overall, the belt fit is good, it fits across the middle of her shoulders and the lap belt sits across her thighs. The headwings and side support help remind her to sit properly. She’s built a bit differently than her sister, the model below. This booster offers her a great fit that should continue to fit well as she grows.

Fit to Child: 8 Years Old

Maxi-Cosi RodiFix: 8 Years old, 49 inches, 49 pounds

This model is 8 years old, weighs 49 pounds and is 49″, with most of those inches in her torso. This has made car seats for her a bit of a challenge since she’s outgrown all of her harnessed car seats by height well before weight. We found ourselves moving her to a booster before I would’ve liked to, but she’s risen to the challenge and become a seasoned booster rider. In order for the RodiFix to fit her properly, I had to raise the headrest pretty high. Raising the headrest expands the shoulder wings just a bit. She’s got about one click left on the height. The padding on the middle portion of the back thins out quite a bit as the headrest is raised. She isn’t too fond of this — the seat is quite padded behind her lower back and her head, but hardly at all behind her upper back. This model is very particular about the level of padding behind her so I was a bit disappointed to see how thin that portion of the padding is (this is pretty common on boosters, but definitely a sticking point for us). This makes her feel kind of hunched over as she tries to find the most comfortable position.

From the front row, I’m not crazy about the belt fit on her lap. I think that the low profile of the seat itself plus that open belt guide add up to this being yet another seat that would fit bigger kiddos better than it fits this model.

Fit to Child: 9 Years Old

Maxi Cosi RodiFix: 9 Years old, 51 inches tall, 59 pounds

One year later, we asked our model to take another spin in the RodiFix. It’s dressed up in a pretty new cover so I was excited to see it back in action. Today, the model from above is 9 years old, weighs 59 pounds and is 51 inches tall. She’s on the highest belt guide setting for the booster. She still complains about the lack of padding behind the top portion of her back but otherwise finds the seat comfortable.

The low belt guides make it very easy for her to buckle herself in, so that’s a definite plus. As the headrest raises, the sides flare out a bit so that made accessing the buckle easier — she’s found that boosters with more enclosed sides make reaching the buckle kind of a challenge — the increasingly flared sides keep access to the buckle convenient as the child grows.

Fit to Child: 11 Years Old

The RodiFix fits our larger model nicely.

We tested the theory that the RodiFix fits larger children well by asking our friend to have a seat. He’s 56 lbs and stands 52 inches tall. The seat fits him pretty well and he’s got some room to grow in it as well. This makes this seat a nice option for us — likely it’ll see most of the action in my Mazda 5’s third row when friends are riding with us. On the plus side, the Easy Glide shoulder belt guides are amazing. They are slim enough that the belt doesn’t twist going in, and yet flat enough that the belt stays put once it’s in the guide. There’s a little latch that keeps the belt inside the guide between uses so I don’t have to worry about the belt twisting, or about my kiddo having a hard time getting the belt back in.

Headrests and Recline

The RodiFix doesn’t sit flush against the back of the Prius’ seat.

We tried the RodiFix in our other car — a 2014 Prius V. The headrest of the Clek Oobr that we’d had in there was blocking the view a bit so I was eager to see how well the RodiFix would fit. The RodiFix is a more streamlined seat than the Oobr so I thought maybe it would be an improvement. I was pretty bummed to see that the Prius’ headrest was pushing the RodiFix forward. The RodiFix manual states that this can be acceptable (the RodiFix does NOT require a vehicle headrest behind it; some boosters do) but only if the car’s manual approves it. While looking this up isn’t too difficult, it did require more time and effort than I think a booster seat should take.

The RodiFix manual defers to the car’s manual.

So, for the moment, I removed the RodiFix and put the Oobr back in. Eventually, I found this from Toyota: “If the child restraint system is installed, it may interfere with the head restraint. In this case, remove the head restraint.” This does mean that we can use the RodiFix in the Prius, so that’s good news for us.

The recline feature works by pushing the seat’s back support back. It almost feels like the seat is falling apart but it’s definitely not!

Overall Impression

So far, we’re pleased with the belt fit, the ISO-FIX connectors, the belt guide, and the lightweight solid-ness of the RodiFix. Like so many seats, it’s not ideal for every child in every seating situations but it has a really nice fit in the second and a decent fit third row of my Mazda 5. The belt tends to get a bit twisted in the belt guide in the third row so while it works there, it’s not our first choice for that location.

The biggest downsides of the RodiFix for us are the lack of cupholders, how quickly it got dirty (spot cleaning did nothing for an ice cream spill) and the lack of padding on the upper back. This adds up to the RodiFix being mostly a backup booster for us. But that doesn’t mean the RodiFix isn’t a great option for other situations. As always, the best car seat or booster is the one that consistently works the best for your family!

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